Nightfall
by Hasu Kurenai
Summary: Kagome's life is turned upside down when she becomes a vampire. Plunging into the dark underworld of demons is unnerving, but will the appearance of a familiar face be a help or a hindrance? Dark. Rating may go up. Please R&R! Thanks.
1. Chapter 1: Awakening

**AN: This is just a trial run. I love vampires!! And for the record, I loved vampires **_**before**_** the whole Twilight phenomenon came along. It was okay, but...I've read better. Anyhoo, these vampires will NOT be sparkly. That totally bemused me, to be honest. I hope you enjoy it! And if you want to see more, please review! I need to know what the readers think. I don't mind flames, because I want your honest opinion, but please don't be cruel. Happy reading!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.**

"Osuwari!"

The snowy-haired hanyou was slammed forcefully into the ground. His claws scrabbled at the dry dirt in an attempt to right himself. A string of obscenities flew venomously from his mouth as he glowered at the young girl in front of him. She sighed and tucked a strand of raven hair behind her ear.

"Inuyasha, I'll only be gone for a few days! I have to study, or I'll fail all my exams. Besides, I miss my family", she added as she picked up a small backpack. "Stay out of trouble 'till I come back", she warned as she jogged towards a small hut.  
"Kagome! Kagome, you cow! Get back here!" the hanyou, Inuyasha, shrieked. He was still pinned to the ground by that damn necklace. "Gah! I'll kill you! Get back here _now!_"

"See if you can get that idiot to shut up. He'll scare the villagers with that racket", the elderly miko grumbled as Kagome entered. Miroku sighed and stood up.

"Come on, Shippo. We wouldn't want to miss an opportunity to torture, Inuyasha, would we?" The monk winked at the young kitsune demon. "Sure wouldn't", Shippo cackled. Kagome grinned at her friends as they passed. She would miss them. But it's only for a few days, she told herself. And then she would be back. Just a few days.

"Well, I was just coming to say goodbye. I'm heading back now. I'll only be gone three-or-so days", she explained. Sango smiled and nodded. "Have a nice time, Kagome-chan", she said sincerely.

"Kagome, why don't you wait until morning?" Kaede looked agitated. Kagome glanced at the miko in surprise.

"The well isn't far from here, Kaede-san. I'll be alright. Don't worry", she waved cheerfully. "I'll see you all soon, okay?"The old woman nodded, but still seemed restless. "Be careful, Kagome. Something feels all wrong...I can sense an evil aura." Kagome bit her lip, concentrating hard. She could feel nothing. No evil presence.

"Well, I'll be careful. Bye, Sango-chan, Kaede-san!"

Kagome stepped outside and took a deep breath. The air was so clean and pure here; unpolluted by smog and fumes. She savoured the gentle breeze, the chirping of the crickets, the scent of pines and woodland. Kagome smiled. It was such a beautiful night. Kaede must be wrong, she decided. Nothing bad could possibly come about on a night such as this.

She had reached the well. Kagome slung the straps of the backpack over her shoulders, and placed one foot on the wood, ready to climb in. She cast a glance behind her. It was so peaceful. The clearing was illuminated by silvery moonlight, giving it an ethereal feeling. Three days could be a long time, she thought wistfully. Kagome swung her other leg over, preparing to drop in, when something rustled in the trees behind her. It must be Inuyasha, she thought. The spell would have worn off by now. She whirled around, but there was no hanyou to glare at. Instead, a young man stood a few feet away. He had dark, messy hair and his skin was pallid. He wasn't particularly striking. He looked...ill.

"Hello", he said warmly, offering her a kind smile. "I'm Daichi."

Kagome blinked. "Uh..hi. I'm Kagome...?"

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Kagome-chan." Kagome felt unease stir in the deepest recesses of her mind. "S-same. Nice to meet you too." She probed frantically. Was this the evil presence Kaede had cautioned her against? He seemed to be a normal person. But there was a possibility that could be a deceiving glamour of some kind. She had heard of youkai with that ability.

"Where are you going, Kagome-chan?" His voice was very soft, and almost melodious. It was almost hypnotising.

"I'm going home", she replied almost instantaneously, surprising herself.

"Home?" Daichi smiled confusedly. "To a well?"  
Kagome swallowed audibly. Why had she said that? She felt she should be scared, but for some reason, she felt strangely calm. Her heart wasn't pounding with fear. It was slow, regular. Instead of the hot rush of terror and adrenaline she usually felt when fighting monsters with Inuyasha, this was different. It was slow and cold, her insides were slowing freezing over with helpless dread. Her vision was blurring around the edges, she felt detached from her body. And Daichi was slowly advancing, the corners of his mouth still quirked up in a smile.

"You can't live in a well, Kagome-chan?" His voice sounded fuzzy. His figure became blurred. She was losing consciousness. _No_, she thought desperately. _I can't die like this! Am I going to die? What's going on? _She slipped forward, but Daichi grabbed her wrist, gently pulling her from the ledge.

"Don't worry, Kagome-chan", he whispered.  
Kagome tried to swallow, her throat was dry. "Inu...yasha", she choked out. Daichi inclined his head, his smile turning to one of sympathy.

"Is that someone dear to you, Kagome-chan?"

"Inuyasha!" Kagome screamed. Her cry echoed eerily in the brisk night air.  
Daichi wrapped his arms around her. "Now is no time for screaming, Kagome-chan. I'm sorry. I'm very, very, very sorry. You seem like a nice girl."  
Kagome tried to scream again. Her body wasn't responding to her mind. It was terrifying. Her thoughts swirled frantically, but her body remained calm. Her eyes began to close. She could hear Daichi, still speaking, but it was just mellow buzz to her ears.  
She didn't even feel the prick of his fangs as she slipped into unconsciousness.

**So what did you think? Sessh will come along a bit later, don't worry :D I still not sure what kinda genres I will be delving into, but don't expect anything citrusy :S I'll try my hand at some romance, but for now...hang fire, 'kay people? And please review! I really want to know what you all think!  
Thanks~**


	2. Chapter 2: New Beginnings

**AN: Hi people~next chapter out pretty fast! But I've got most of them done. I'm just adjusting them. No reviews yet *sigh* but I got an email, well two emails, which said I had story alerts :D  
Thank you, Saiyan Hope and Silence in the Shadows!!  
I hope everyone enjoys this next chapter, and please, please review!! Thanks!**

**Disclaimer: meh...the usual. Of course I don't own Inuyasha! Why would I be writing **_**fan**_**fiction otherwise?!**

"Kagome!"

Inuyasha swore loudly and back tracked. Her scent had become mingled with something else and then faded away altogether. He rushed back to the clearing where the others were.

"Did you find her?" Sango jumped to her feet. Inuyasha shook his head. Shippo looked desolate.

"But where could she have gone? We came here as soon as we heard her call for help!" Miroku cried. "She can't have gone that far!"

"He's right. We can't abandon Kagome-chan!" Sango said scoffed.

"Of course we won't abandon her. We'll find her. We definitely will."

-oOo-

"I think she twitched a finger!"

"Shut up, Airi."

"You shut up!"

"_Both _of you shut up."

Kagome groaned and tried to sit up. Her skin felt cold and clammy.

"I think...I'm gonna be sick", she rasped. She tried to focus her hazy eyesight on the other people in the room. There seemed to be three. The one closest to her was very slight, with a shock of auburn hair and bright violet eyes. Sitting at the back of the room, regarding her mournfully, was Daichi. The third occupant was a young man with sandy hair and a solemn expression. He was crouched next to the red-head, whom Kagome assumed to be Airi.

"Hi, Kagome!" the red-head exclaimed. "Wow, you must feel like crap! I know I did! Well, I think I did...did I? I dunno, you forget a lot in two hundred years..." she trailed off with a shrug.

"Shut up, Airi! You'll confuse her! Look, just ignore Airi. Everyone else does", the straw haired boy glowered at Airi. The latter narrowed her violet orbs and opened her mouth to speak, but Daichi chose that moment to intervene.

"How are you feeling, Kagome?" he smiled gently.

"That's a stupid question, Daichi-sama. Look at her! She probably feels awful."

"Why don't we let Kagome answer for herself, Hayato?", Daichi said dryly. The young man, Hayato, flushed slightly and stood up. "C'mon", he murmured, tugging the sleeve of Airi's tattered blue kimono. She offered no resistance, and the two left quietly. Daichi moved closer and sat down next to the tatami mat Kagome was lying on.

"You'll have to excuse them. They're excited. Airi's already taken a shine to you", he said cheerfully.  
Kagome stared at him blankly. She felt she should be somewhere else...with...with...

"Ah! Inuyasha! I have to get back! Inuyasha, Miroku-sama and Sango-chan will be looking for me!" Kagome jumped to her feet and instantly regretted it. Her head spun as the room turned upside down. "Whoa..." she stammered, lowering herself back down.

"Yeah...don't move too quick. You might throw up", Daichi advised. "That...would be unpleasant. For Hayato. Who would have to clean it up..."  
Kagome cradled her throbbing head in her arms as panic reigned chaos inside. The Shikon fragments!

"My belongings! I had a...a backpack! A pack! I..." she stopped as memories flooded back. Yes, she had a backpack on her shoulders when she climbed into the well. But she never got in because of...

"You!" Kagome exclaimed, scrambling away from Daichi. "What did you do?!"  
Daichi looked sad. "I did apologise", he mumbled.  
Questions swirled around in her mind, there was so many they seemed to cancel each other out and she was speechless. Daichi met her gaze with his melancholy brown eyes and for a while they just opened his mouth to speak, but at that moment an avalanche of people seemed to spill through the door. Kagome jumped in surprise. There was Airi and Hayato, but the others were unfamiliar.

"Hey, Kagome! Daichi explained everything, right?" Hayato grinned.

"Wow! I'm so happy to have another shortie in the coven!" Airi squealed, dropping down next to Kagome. "Now Ran is the odd one out! Bet you wish you weren't so tall now, eh!" Airi said with a mischievous glance behind her. Kagome looked in the same direction. Ran was a tall, willowy woman with tanned skin and hair like fresh snow. It tumbled down past her waist. She reminded Kagome of a youkai...Ran stared back at Kagome stoically with eyes like a stormy sea and nodded her head in acknowledgement. Kagome smiled then noticed that besides Ran and Airi, there were only two other females in the group of twelve.

"Kyaa! She's so cute!" A man with a long plait of dark hair wearing a vibrant indigo kimono pounced behind her, ruffling her hair. "I'm Kazuki!"

"Uh...h-hi", Kagome stammered uncertainly. Who were all these people?! And what did Airi mean by 'coven'?

"Hush, everyone. Settle down and don't annoy Kagome." Daichi stood up, and the room fell quiet.

"But she-" Airi's complaint was cut off by a stern glance from Daichi.

"Kagome, this is my coven", he said sombrely. Airi, now standing next to Ran, gave her an enthusiastic thumbs-up.

"Last week...we...we lost a member to-"

"-another coven", Hayato finished. Daichi glared at him, but the youth seemed unaffected.

Ran snorted. "Katsu had it coming. Conceited fool. His death was convenience. He was a liability."  
The whole room descended into awkward silence.

"Ran!" Airi hissed. The taller girl shrugged coldly. "I just said what everyone else was thinking. Wouldn't we have killed Katsu ourselves? He was too loose mouthed. He had seen too many centuries. He was insane."

"You'll be like that one day", Hayato snarled. "Should we kill you then? When that time comes?"

"That would be wise", Ran replied acidly. "You _can_ live too long."

"That's enough", Daichi said quietly. "Ran."

Kagome felt uncomfortable. Like an intruder. "Who are you people? What have I got to do with any of this?" she mumbled.  
Hayato looked shocked. "But Daichi explained to you, didn't he? We're-"  
"Vampires. You're a vampire now too, Kagome", Ran said quietly, her eyes softening.  
Kagome stared at her in horror. "I-I'm a _vampire?!_"

**Okay! How was that? I've always like the name Ran. It means orchid. Well, I'm real excited about this story!! Please tell me what you think! Until next time xxx**


	3. Chapter 3: Escape

**AN: Hi, people! Got three reviews! Thank you soo much! And to everyone who favourited and subscribed and put this story on alert, thank you!! I'm trying to mush my pre-written chapters together so they'll be a bit longer. I personally thought they were a bit short. Is that okay with everyone? Well, tell me if you have a problem with something, and I'll do my best to oblige ^_^  
Next chapter up! Hope you enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Inuyasha, I only own my OC people. But everyone knows that so I don't really know why I bother :P**

Everyone in the room stared at her like she'd just announced that the sky was blue. Hayato tittered.

"Well, what did you think was going on?"

Kagome looked at him incredulously. The fear, worry and confusion churning inside her turned to annoyance at this whole bloody mess."Oh yeah, because when I wake up in a room full of complete strangers, the first thing I do is assume I've become a vampire!" she hissed. Hayato's expression of surprise became one of hurt and mortification. Kagome could have bitten her tongue. The sick feeling in her stomach worsened. "Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap, I'm just...tired...and confused", she said as gently as possible.

"Then you should get some more sleep", Daichi said quietly. "Come on everyone. We'll check up on you later, okay?"

Kagome nodded. The room seemed a lot larger now, emptied of all the people. She curled up on her side, pulling the thin blanket tightly around her body. Her eyelids drooped.

_I'm a vampire...  
_

Maybe, hopefully, they were taking the piss. Kagome's cheeks flushed. If that had been the case, then it would be terribly humiliating. She poked her canine teeth with her tongue. No fangs. But did that mean anything? If, and only if, this whole crazy situation turned out to be real, and she really was a...a vampire, then...what would the others think? Inuyasha, Miroku, Sango and Shippo? What would they think of her? Or her family?!How would she tell them?

Kagome turned to her other side. The ground was cold and uncomfortable. She would have thought an abode of the undead would be some kind of gothic mansion, all cobwebs and coffins...from what she could see, it was just like Kaede's house. Small, hot and kind of grubby...her eyes, scanning the walls, fell upon a small sack in the corner. No...it wasn't a sack, it was her bag! Her eyes widened and she crawled over on her hands and knees. Hands shaking, she fumbled with the zip. Everything seemed to be inside...her homework, an apple, half a sandwich, an extra sweater and the fragments! Kagome grinned and reached for the small vial they were stored in. The two crystalline shards glowed dimly as she popped the cork and tipped them into her hand.

Concentrating hard, she reached for her purifying powers. But what happened wasn't what she was expecting. The fragments shuddered in her palm, and the dim light they had been emitting dimmed even further. A dark shadow danced around the outline, and began to push inwards. Kagome dropped them in shock. Impossible! She couldn't be...polluting them?

Heart pounding, she reached for them again, hoping this time, it would work. As soon as her fingertip brushed the shard closest, it filled with a pure darkness. Kagome jerked her hand back, like she'd been stung.

_My purification abilities...aren't working?!  
_

She bit her lip. She just needed to stay calm. Taking a deep breath, she scooped them up with the vial, and placed them back in her bag. She would deal with them later. Right now, there were more pressing matters at hand. Obeying her growling stomach, Kagome snatched the sandwich and practically inhaled it. She hadn't realised quite how hungry she was. Feeling better now she had eaten, Kagome tossed the apple from hand to hand and munched it as she walked over to the door.  
Time to go find these "vampires" and get things straight.  
She opened the door and nearly dropped her apple in surprise. Airi shrieked and jumped backwards. The two girls sighed in relief as they ascertained there was no danger.

"I uh, thought you might be hungry, but I see you already..." Airi trailed off and gestured vaguely at the apple in Kagome's hand.  
Kagome nodded and sniffed, staring at the ground.

"Are...are you really vampires?"

"_We._ And yes, we are really vampires. Did you think it was a prank?" Airi smiled broadly. Kagome managed a weak grin, but what had happened earlier with the fragments still had her uneasy. That had never happened before. Never.

"You look kind of upset. You okay? Well, I suppose that's a stupid question", Airi laughed awkwardly, twirling a lock of dark, red hair around her finger. "You have people still, right." It wasn't a question. Kagome nodded. Airi's usually vibrant eyes dulled.

"You miss them", she whispered. Kagome felt tears prick her eyes. She wasn't sure what to say, so she just nodded again.

"I miss my family", she said brokenly. Airi bit her lip. "I'm sorry, Kagome", she murmured.  
Kagome managed a short bark of laughter and impatiently wiped her eyes. "Don't worry. I'll be able to see them again soon. Right?" Airi hesitated, and looked at the ground.

"Daichi-sama will want to speak with you."

Frowning, Kagome followed the petite red head down the narrow hall, just as dingy as the rest of the house, wondering just what it was that Daichi wanted to speak to her about.

-oOo-

Ran pressed a hand to her burning cheek. Slaps didn't hurt. They were just...humiliating. Ran often felt she had little to her name if not her dignity. With a sigh, she smoothed her scarlet kimono and pulled her hair over her shoulder, gently dragging her fingers through it.  
It had been one week now...since Katsu was killed. She didn't miss him at all. Daichi was a better leader. Was he? Ran absent-mindedly wondered what he would think if he found out that Kurou had hit her. He wouldn't be happy. Not that she would tell him. She could handle Kurou on her own.  
Kurou made no secret of the fact that he missed Katsu. No one did. Except Ran...Katsu...he had brought it upon himself, really.

Ran braced her palms on the ground and lowered her bare feet into the stream bellow. She gasped at the feel of the icy water, but soon adjusted. It was...soothing. Ran liked the sound of running water. It had happy memories for her. Before this whole vampire mess...with the real Katsu...well, Katsu before he went completely loopy. She missed _that_ Katsu.  
Ran shook her head to clear her thoughts. She didn't need to think about this now.

-oOo-

Kagome slowly sat down opposite Daichi. He looked even more exhausted than before, but his face was still illuminated by that kind smile.

"I understand you must have a lot of questions, so I've made some time to answer them. So. What do you want to know?"

Finally faced with an opportunity to have this mystery solved, Kagome found herself unable to think of any questions at all. Frowning slightly, she drew a breath and opened her mouth.  
At that moment, the door flew open. Daichi turned sharply, annoyance flashing across his face. Airi stood, gasping and shaking. His eyes widened.

"Airi? What's wrong?"She pointed wordlessly behind her. "Incoming...I-I came here as fast as I could."

"How many?" Daichi said calmly, standing up. He motioned for Kagome to follow. Airi shook her head. "Too many."

Daichi nodded. "Get everyone. No packing", he commanded. Airi bobbed her head and literally vanished. Kagome gawped. Daichi, catching her surprised expression, chuckled.

"Airi is very fast. But come on. We've got to leave now."

Kagome jogged along behind him. "But what did she mean? Who's here? What do they want?"  
They emerged out of the house into a garden that nature had long since reclaimed. An anxious looking group was waiting. Daichi grinned.

"Role call, people! Everyone here?"

Daichi did a quick head count. They totalled at nine. Kagome narrowed her eyes. "I'm sure there were more", she said, concerned. Daichi was already walking.

"Oh no, a few humans were there before. Just bringing some supplies we asked for. You know..." he waved a hand dismissively. The others were already walking rapidly ahead, glancing nervously behind them. Kagome caught sight of Airi, jogging to keep up with Ran's long stride. She hurried over to them.

"What's going on?"

Ran looked as impassive as ever. "Big coven are heading this way, I suppose", she replied airily.

"So why are we leaving?" Ran's mouth twitched in an amused smile and she didn't answer.

Airi seemed to take pity. "We're very, very small for a coven. So...a bigger one would...well, make mincemeat out of us."Kagome's eyes widened in alarm. Suddenly her stomach dropped.

"My bag!"

"What?" Airi exclaimed.

"I have to go back! My bag...it has something important in it!" Kagome turned, but Ran's slim fingers closed around her wrist like steel.

"Are you insane?" she hissed. "You can't go back there!"

Kagome jerked her hand away. "I have to! If those get into the wrong hands..." Kagome sprinted back the way they had come as fast as she could. She couldn't leave the fragments behind. Heart pounding, she moved with a speed that would have made her gym teacher cry with pride.

_Please don't let me be too late!_

The house came into sight, and she put on another burst of speed. It looked so decrepit, from outside...

She shoved the door open, desperately trying to remember which room she had left it in. But her mind was so muddled with terror. The fifth door she kicked open was the right one, and her bag was slouching sullenly in the corner. Right where she had left it. She could have sobbed with relief. She snatched it up and turned around.

An unfamiliar figure stood in the doorway. A man with black hair and narrow eyes. He sniffed the air and his face contorted in an animalistic snarl. Kagome yelped and jumped backwards. He lunged forward, hands twisted into claws. Kagome screamed and dropped down, covering her head. There was a dull thud from behind. Knowing he must have jumped over her, Kagome launched herself towards the door, clutching her bag to her chest as tears of pure terror streamed down her cheeks. She heard his enraged shriek and the sound of his pursuing footsteps. Just as she bumped into someone else. Glancing up, Kagome saw yet another unfamiliar vampire. _  
_

_They're already in the house?!_

The second vampire stared at her in bewilderment as she squealed and dashed off towards the back, praying fiercely that she would remember the way. Her pursuers were a lot faster than her, and gaining quickly. The door came into sight. Kagome tried to run faster, her legs pushed to their limit. She felt fingers close around her throat from behind and was suddenly jerked backwards. With a choked scream, Kagome fell. The last thing she saw before she hit the ground were two blurs by the door.

The hand around her neck suddenly went limp, and Kagome turned in surprise. A headless body crumpled at Ran's feet. The latter was holding an elegant, and now bloodstained, katana. She grabbed Kagome's hand and dragged her towards the door. Airi bobbed up behind her, looking wide-eyed and pale.

"Come on", Ran muttered.

Airi hooped her arm through Kagome's and took off like a rocket. Kagome had never moved so fast before in her life. Even on the bullet train. All she could see was a blur of green foliage coming at her too quickly to even comprehend. She squeezed her eyes tight shut until they came to a halt. The three girls stood in the trees, breathing heavily, and then Airi started laughing.

"Idiot", Ran gasped, leaning over to catch her breath. Kagome's knees felt weak and she collapsed on the ground, clutching the bag tightly.

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!"

Airi looked giddy. "Wow...that was groovy!"

Ran looked at her friend in disgust, then focused her steely glare on Kagome. "You crazy bitch! You could've gotten us all killed!" Kagome was too relieved to be offended, and instead, threw her arms around the other girl.

"You guys saved me! Thank you so much!"

"Yay! Group hug!" Airi joined in.

Ran just rolled her eyes. "What's so important about that bag anyway?" she asked irritably. Kagome paused. But she felt she could trust them. Slowly, she reached in, and drew out the vial. The other girls frowned and then gasped as they realised what she was holding.

"Shikon fragments?!"

**Phew! Close one, eh! Just kidding :P of course Kagome wouldn't die...but what did you guys think? Please review and see you all next time :D**


	4. Chapter 4: Dead to the World

**AN: Oh my god! 7 reviews?! This is the most I've ever gotten :D Thank you so much to all of you~ you guys are the best! I hope you continue to enjoy it! As for Sesshy's entrance, don't worry! It'll be soon! I'm just gonna get Kagome settled ****So maybe in the next chapter or the one after. But it'll be soon, promise XD  
And on an offnote, I'm soo sorry about the name mix up in the last chapter! I've fixed it now, but I'm sure some of you were wondering who the hell Ayame was! Ayame was the original name I had for Airi, but my friend pointed out there was a filler character in the anime who was kinda the same, I don't know because I don't watch it, but I changed it to Airi. It was annoying, because I had to edit all my chapters before posting ****but I promise it won't happen anymore :D !**

**Disclaimer: the usual...I don't own Inuyasha. I own something much better...Sesshomaru!! Nah, just kidding. *sigh* I wish :S Inuyasha (and Sesshomaru) belong to Rumiko Takahashi.**

Ran and Airi stared at Kagome in surprise.

"You have Shikon fragments?!" Airi exclaimed, practically vibrating with excitement. Kagome smiled and nodded, slipping the vial back inside her bag. Ran looked at Kagome thoughtfully, her dark grey eyes boring into Kagome's brown ones. She frowned and tipped her head slightly, then flashed Airi an amused glance.

"Incoming", she breathed. At that moment, Hayato stumbled into the clearing, closely followed by Daichi and the rest of the coven. Hayato looked relieved, but Daichi wore an expression of cold fury, one that Kagome was surprised he could even muster. It was so different from his usual serene smile, that it made butterflies flutter in her stomach.

"What on earth was that?" he snarled.

The clearing was totally silent, and with several people watching the exchange with interest, Kagome felt like she had been called up by a teacher in class for misbehaving. Unable to reply, she found sudden interest in her footwear. Airi shuffled in discomfort, and Ran looked blank.

"I had to get something important", Kagome said in a small voice. Daichi's eyes narrowed.

"Something...important?" Kagome could tell she had worsened the situation, but there was no turning back. So she nodded.

"More important than your life? Or Airi's life? Or Ran's?" His voice was deathly quiet. Kagome flushed. There really was no reply. She had been so selfish...to risk everything like that. What if they had been overwhelmed? There had only been one sword between them, and only one with the ability to wield it. Kagome felt absolutely wretched.

"I'm sorry. And I know that doesn't even cover it, but I..."

"I said to get out fast for a reason! Just one stupid little girl running off to fetch a bag?! Of all the foolish, superficial things! It's worse than stupid!" Kagome flinched at his sharp words, and nodded ashamedly.

"Daichi-sama!" Airi gasped. "Of all the cruel things to say-"

"Don't interrupt! You're just as bad!" Airi looked shocked. Ran rolled her eyes and spoke up.

"Is anyone dead?" She sighed. "If they are, they obviously weren't very important, because no one mentioned anything to me." Daichi's eyes snapped over to Ran.  
"Don't take such a blasé approach. This is-"  
"You should have expected it! You were the one who bit her! You were the one who dragged her into this! Did you ask? I don't think so. You can't just expect people to adapt straight away! _That_ is stupid."

Her words were met by absolute silence. Kagome hadn't thought Ran was capable of talking for so long. And she was astonished that Ran, of all people, had defended her. But grateful nonetheless. Daichi seemed just as amazed, but the expression was soon wiped away. He turned, without a backward glance and began to head west, followed by his unsettled coven. Ran crossed her arms and breezed off. The other two hurried to keep up. Kagome struggled to find suitable words.

"Ran, I wa-"

"Don't."

Kagome flushed again, feeling embarrassed. Ran seemed displeased. "Thank you", Kagome murmured quickly. Ran didn't reply.

They walked for what seemed like hours, when Kagome felt a stab of recognition. She knew this place...of course! Kaede's village was just beyond the trees ahead! Matching her stride with Airi, she muttered " where are we going?"

"To our village. It's not far now. Just around the next hill. We'll be able to get food, water, clean clothes and all that stuff there", Airi replied. Kagome nodded and bit her lip. She had tried to purify the Shikon fragments, but it still wasn't working. She didn't have any options left, and decided to do the sensible thing. She wove through everyone to reach Daichi. He didn't meet her gaze, staring straight ahead. It made her uncomfortable.

"Um, Daichi? Sama...I ahm...I wonder if I could have permission to run a small errand? I won't take long, I just want to...return something." Kagome didn't think he would answer, and blushed as she prepared to fall back with Airi and Ran.

"Where?" he asked quietly. Kagome looked at him, startled.

"This village, just up ahead", she replied hopefully.

"Take Airi with you. Don't be too long."

Kagome nodded and couldn't help but smile. "Of course! Thank you! Thank you so much, Daichi. Sama", she added hastily. She wasn't used to speaking to people with such an honorific. But she supposed it was something she would have to get used to.

"Kagome?" Kagome glanced back, wondering if he had changed his mind. He hesitated before speaking. "Be careful."

-oOo-

"So where are we going?" Airi chirped. She seemed to have recovered from her earlier scolding. Airi didn't seem like the type to irritate her superiors often, so it was probably a shock for the poor girl, Kagome mused.

"Just up ahead. I have to return something." Airi looked inquisitive, but didn't pry.  
They finally reached the outskirts, where the well was. Kagome brushed her fingers along the wood, resisting the urge to shudder as memories flickered in her mind.

_I could jump in now. Go home...pretend nothing happened. _

Kagome sighed. No...there was no going back, no pretending. This was a new life now. Nothing could be the same. But she missed her family. She missed the warmth and security. She missed her grandfather's ranting, she missed her brother loitering around her room asking her questions and just being annoying....Kagome smiled slightly. She missed her mother's hugs and reassurances.

_If only Okaa-san would come now and tell me everything would be okay..._

"Ka-go-me?"

Kagome snapped out of her reverie. "Sorry, Airi", she laughed. "I just was...thinking...about stuff. Never mind, c'mon", she pulled slightly on Airi's cuff and they both headed out of the trees. A few villagers glanced up at their arrival, but Kaede was nowhere to be seen. Neither was Inuyasha. Kagome wasn't sure whether to feel relieved or disappointed.

"You wait here, I won't be long." Kagome ran off before Airi could object.

The village was bustling, which was handy. Kagome ducked and weaved, trying to be inconspicuous. Though, in her clothes, it was probably a futile effort. She hoped Inuyasha was somewhere else. It would be difficult to explain. She barely understood herself.

Kaede's hut bobbed into view, and the miko herself made no appearance. Kagome reached into her bag and drew out the fragments. They were still coal black. The last threads of hope left her. With a shaky sigh, she walked over to the door. There was no noise inside, so she ventured in. As she suspected, it was empty. With a heart like lead, she reluctantly deposited the vial on a shelf of herbs, partially hidden so it would be invisible to anyone who happened to come in. But Kaede, being a miko, would sense its presence.

She turned to leave. But it was too soon, she wanted to sit down and have tea, chat with Sango and Miroku and Kaede, while Inuyasha and Shippo sat there annoying each other...Kagome realised she was crying. _It's not fair..._

Willing herself to walk out, she half hoped they would arrive, and demand she stay...but Airi! Kagome dashed out, and saw the other girl sitting down against a tree trunk cooing at a cabbage butterfly. Kagome smiled affectionately. Airi really was a sweet girl.  
The latter noticed Kagome coming, and jumped to her feet in a blur of incredible speed.

"Kagome!" she exclaimed in delight. "Did you finish your errand?"

Kagome smiled and nodded. As they walked, Kagome decided to ask the question that had been bothering her since their narrow escape.

"Airi, are all vampires as fast as you?"

Airi laughed. "No, silly, it's a personal talent. Like Daichi! And Kat...Katsu..." she trailed off. But Kagome was too interested to let it slide.

"Daichi?"

Airi nodded. "Daichi-sama can...I suppose you would call them illusions...to make you feel or see things that aren't there...but it's limited." Kagome recalled that fateful evening. She had felt tired, and his voice had sounded almost musical. Was that the illusion?

"What about Katsu?"

Airi shook her head, looking afraid. "It was a bit like Daichi-sama...he could....see in your head, what scared you the most...and he could show it to you, like it was real...I could feel pain and smell everything..I...it was terrifying. And you could never get used to it. It could drive you to insanity. To escape that, I would have taken my own life", she finished solemnly.

Kagome looked in Airi at disbelief. She couldn't imagine Airi in such a situation. She found it even harder to picture someone who would do something so cruel.

"He used to do it to you? To...his coven?" Airi hesitated.

"I'll tell you about the gifts! Please don't make me think about it...I don't want it in my head anymore", Airi pleaded.

Kagome felt disturbed. "Okay, look don't worry, tell me all about the gifts", she said as soothingly as possible. Airi nodded furiously, auburn hair bouncing.

"Some vampires have extra special talents, but it all depends on the vampire who bites them. The more potent the youkai energy, the more likely it is that the bitten vampire will have an ability! Like Katsu-sama turned Daichi-sama, their abilities are similar!" Airi paused, then her eyes widened. "Kagome! Daichi-sama bit you! You might get an ability!" she sounded ecstatic. "I can't believe I never thought of this! Of course!" Airi squealed in delight. Looking at how quickly her moods had changed, Kagome vaguely considered the possibility of Airi being bipolar.

"Is there any way of knowing?" Kagome wondered, if she did have an ability, what it would be. Hopefully nothing like Katsu. Kagome shuddered at the thought.

"Time will tell", Airi shrugged. "Come on, we best get back to Daichi-sama and make sure Ran hasn't picked any fights."

**Ah...end of chapter four ****did you guys enjoy it? Hope so! Please review! And the next chapter (is already written) will probably be out tomorrow. After that, I have no more left! Nasty exams are coming D: so I don't have time to write! But in the next chapter, Sesshy's coming *squeal* I'll probably be obsessing over it for hours, making sure he isn't OOC or anything :S  
Bye~bye **


	5. Chapter 5: Sleeping Sun

**AN: Hi, everyone! Thank you sooo much for all your lovely, helpful reviews! They really make my day ^_^ in this chapter...enter the bestest (don't worry, I know that isn't a word) demon lord ever *fangirl squeal* I have an awful feeling he might be a bit OOC, but he doesn't really strike me as a child expert...you know? Anyways, I hope you enjoy and please review :D**

**Disclaimer: are these compulsory? Everybody knows I don't own Inuyasha. If I did, I would've killed him off. Nah, just kidding. I honestly don't mind Inu that much! There shall be no bashing. Promise XD**

A half-hearted shower of rain tipped down from the overcast sky. It wasn't cold, but terribly damp. Rin felt like it was seeping into her very bones. She edged closer Ah-Un, sitting down under one of his heads in an attempt to stay dry. She was cold.

"Sesshomaru-sama? I'm cold", she called miserably to the demon lord standing in the distance.

He had been on edge all morning, and then he had deliberately taken them off course. Rin had thought long and hard about this, and had come to the conclusion that he must be afraid of something. What could possibly scare Sesshomaru-sama was impossible for her to comprehend, but it seemed to make sense. He had been very wary, sniffing the air every so often and steadily moving further away to the west. It was that big forest, Rin was sure. That forest seemed endless. They had been traipsing along its border for a few days now. Rin noticed that Sesshomaru-sama didn't like that forest. He would watch it very carefully whenever they stopped so she could rest. No noise went unheard.

Rin shivered and glanced back at the white-haired youkai. "I hope it stops raining soon. Don't you, Jaken-sama?" The kappa demon nodded dejectedly. But he snapped to attention when the daiyoukai arrived in front of them.

"We're leaving", he said quietly.

Rin didn't object. This was Sesshomaru-sama's no-nonsense voice. It often meant something scary was coming.

"I'm cold", she repeated, on the off-chance he hadn't heard her the first time. Sesshomaru-sama looked around, almost helplessly.

"What do you want me to do? You should have brought your hood." Rin shrugged and widened her eyes, in an attempt to look as cute and innocent as possible. Sesshomaru scowled.

"That look has no effect on me", he said flatly, turning around. Rin stood, hands clasped behind her back. She just had to wait a few minutes until-

"Rin. Come here." Rin beamed and scampered to Sesshomaru-sama's side. She smiled adorably at him as she ducked under the "mokomoko", the large fur sash on his shoulder. Or, as Rin preferred to call it, 'that fluffy thing'. She knew it annoyed him, because he had to slow his pace for her. And it inevitably meant Jaken would be present at a much closer range. Not to mention Ah-Un breathing down his neck. Rin supposed that was why he liked to walk ahead of them. She decided to take his mind off it by entertaining him with a story.

"Sesshomaru-sama, you'll never guess what!" she began. His brow creased slightly in what might possibly be pain. Rin couldn't imagine why.

A few moments into Rin's tale, Sesshomaru was sure she had told him this before. He nodded at appropriate intervals and tried to ignore the fact that Ah-Un kept sniffing his hair. Every so often he swished a hand at the dragon to stop the damn creature trying to eat him. But more important than Rin's endless chatter or Ah-Un's attempts to make him go bald, was the strange scent the wind had been carrying all morning. Unsure of what it was, he had tried to avoid it, but the more he strayed from the source, the stronger it seemed to become. Sesshomaru narrowed his amber eyes.

"Sesshomaru-sama! Stop glaring at the trees! You aren't listening to my story!"

"Don't be so impudent, Rin! My lord Sesshomaru has more crucial matters to attend to than listen to your meaningless babble!"

Sesshomaru closed his eyes, willing himself to be patient. Think of calm things. Inuyasha's smirking face appeared in his mind. Calm things?

"_Find your Zen", _he sneered.

What on earth was Zen anyway? And where did you find it? It was confusing, so he settled for counting to ten slowly in his head.

"Silence, Jaken. Rin, please continue your story."

-oOo-

Kagome had never felt so relieved to see such a dilapidated village in her life. She was cold, wet, hungry and absolutely exhausted. People peeked warily at them from around doorways. Kagome wondered what Airi had meant when she said "our village".  
An elderly man hurried over, closely followed by several other nervous looking humans. They bowed.

"Daichi-sama." The quiet murmur rippled among them, and then they cast an uncertain glance in Kagome's direction.

"This is Kagome", Daichi said helpfully, giving Kagome a gentle smile. Relief flooded through her. At least he wasn't angry anymore. "Kagome-sama", they chorused respectfully.  
The elderly man at the front glanced from Daichi to Kagome.

"Kagome-sama is...?" Daichi nodded slowly.

"I am the village head", the man said deferentially. "You are all most welcome back, Daichi-sama, and of course, Daichi-sama's companions. We have food and clean clothes prepared inside." He gestured towards what was probably the finest house in the village.

-oOo-

An hour later, and Kagome had washed, eaten, been given a clean kimono and was sitting by the hearth with Ran and Airi, with a steaming cup of tea. She sighed in contentment, shuffling closer to the crackling fire. It was pouring down outside, and while there were a few gaps in the roof, this section of the room was dry. Wearing a kimono was odd. She felt like she was strolling around in a dressing gown. But she supposed she would get used to it.

The coven had dispersed after they had been attended to by the villagers, Kagome wasn't sure where they had all gone, but Daichi was speaking privately with the village head. Kagome assumed he was arranging repayment for the kindness they had been shown. But she couldn't help but remember the fearful way the villagers had shrunk away from them...

_Well, we are vampires..._

She was getting more accustomed to the "we". So far, nothing bad had come of it. The coven was nice enough.

There was Daichi, Airi, Ran, Hayato...she interacted with them more frequently. But there was also Kazuki, a cheerful man in his early twenty's, Kagome assumed, with long dark hair in a perpetual plait and a fetish for bright colours. And Kurou, who was a very grave and serious individual. Kagome found him rather intimidating, what with the samurai armour and the huge scimitar at his waist. He didn't speak much...Minoru was a very mild and sweet boy, perhaps a year younger than Kagome was. Ryuu was somewhat eccentric, but had a wide knowledge of all kinds of herbs and medicines. His tendency to ramble about the "apocalypse following the winged serpents" was slightly disturbing. Finally there was Yori, a slim girl with black hair in two pigtails. Yori was bizarre, but very kind nonetheless. She would drift around like a pale ghost, singing quietly to herself. Kagome was sure, if Yori had been born in her time, she would have been a hairdresser. Yori's deft fingers could weave even Kagome's unruly tresses into the most elegant of styles, and she often embellished them with any nearby flowers.

They were like a crazy extended family, Kagome thought. Airi was definitely a chatterbox, her enthusiastic voice trilling constantly, even right now. Kagome smiled at her as she waved her hands around and laughed hysterically. She sighed and fell silent. It was not to be though, as she chimed

"I'm...._hungry_".

"We just ate", Kagome replied. Airi stared at her blankly. "Oh, silly! No, I'm _hungry_!"

Now it was Kagome's turn to look blank. Ran's eyes rolled like marbles, a trait Kagome was beginning to associate with the willowy vampire. _Vampire...?_ Kagome's eyes widened in realisation. She opened her mouth, but no sound came. Of course. She hadn't even thought about it since she had joined the ranks. But now it was so apparent! She then noticed that she had been gawping at a rather embarrassed looking Airi. Kagome snapped her mouth shut. "I-I'm sorry...I didn't think..."  
Suddenly everything slid into place. The way Airi had called it "our village", how afraid the residents were...this village was...

"Here?" Kagome was horrified. The idea was sickening. She couldn't, she just couldn't. Airi and Ran burst out laughing.

"No!" Airi exclaimed. "This is _our_ village! Why would we eat it?!"

Kagome blushed. "Then...it's not the village? It's not people, is it?"

Ran stared at her levelly. "Of course it's people. What did you expect?" Kagome flinched.

"I know what you're thinking, animals, right?" Airi looked sympathetic. Kagome nodded meekly.  
"It doesn't work. You're only two days old. But, you'll notice the effects soon", she said gravely.

At that moment the door flew open. Kurou strolled in. "Nightfall. We're heading out. Newbie coming?"

Airi scrambled to her feet, pulling on the sleeve of Kagome's dark violet kimono. "I'm starved!" she said excitedly. But Kagome's stomach was churning as she followed Kurou and Air outside. She couldn't do this. Discreetly, she tried to step back and slip inside, but collided with Ran. Ran's steely grey eyes met Kagome's pleading gaze unflinchingly. "You have to start some time", she muttered, prodding Kagome's back. With no escape, Kagome trailed helplessly after the others. Her heart pounded frantically. She couldn't....

"The sun is sleeping...now they sigh under the stars...wake up, mister moon..." Yori sang eerily, twirling her dark hair around her fingers.

Daichi smiled genially and strolled over. The morning incident seemed to be forgotten. "Are you excited, Kagome?" he said cheerfully. Kagome stared at him in horror. He pulled a face.  
"It's okay! You don't have to kill them", he said defensively. "Just don't inject any venom."

"I don't even know anything about- you know what? I don't care, I'm not doing it." Kagome folded her arms, looking stubborn.

Daichi shook his head sadly. "It's my responsibility to make sure my coven is in good health, and safe, but it's your responsibility to make sure you are fit to be of use to the coven in return. You cannot be a dead weight, Kagome."

Kagome stared at him. "So get rid of me. I'm not doing it."

"Kagome, please! Come on! We need to test your ability! After the first feed, you'll be a proper vampire! We-we might even find out if you have a gift!" Airi pleaded, looking hopeful.

"No one has to die!, Daichi coaxed, gently nudging her forward while Airi pulled on her arm. "You have to come, Kagome!"

"I don't want to! You can't make me do this!" Kagome dug her heels in. The idea was making her feel sick. She couldn't..._bite _someone. It went against all her human instincts.

_But you aren't a human anymore .Besides, they're right! No one has to die..._

Kagome hesitated. Half of her was absolutely revolted, but the other side was...excited. She shook her head weakly. "I can't..." she trailed off.

The others pulled and dragged her, and it became like a dream. She felt something else take over, removing her from the situation. Someone else was walking, someone else followed Airi and Daichi through the forest. Someone else crouched down in the undergrowth, eagerly watching a small band of soldiers set up camp. Someone else moved in to the clearing.  
But Kagome heard the screaming.

-oOo-

"Kagome was here."

Inuyasha's head snapped up in surprise at Kaede's words. The aged miko looked grave. She silently held up the vial of Shikon fragments. They were glowing dimly, but the heart was pure black. Sango gasped. Inuyasha glanced around. Kagome's scent was lingering, but it was coated with something else, something...wrong. Kagome better be okay, he thought sniffed the air again. The scent was difficult to follow.

"Inuyasha-sama!"

The group looked up at the new voice. A little girl of around eight years, with long dark hair and a bright orange kimono pranced over. Rin.

"Sesshomaru-sama said you were here! He said he could smell that disgusting hanyou, Inuyasha. I don't think you are a disgusting hanyou, Inuyasha-sama. Maybe Sesshomaru-sama is in denial. He is your onii-san, so he must care about you a little", Rin said, all in one breath.

Inuyasha burst out laughing. Sango glowered at him. "Don't laugh", she scolded. "She's only eight! If Kagome-chan was here, she'd make you sit..."

"Where is Kagome-sama?" Rin said, in innocent confusion. The group exchanged glances.

"That girl's scent is mixed with youkai", Sesshomaru murmured. Rin jumped.

"Ah, Sesshomaru-sama! You gave me a fright!"

The daiyoukai didn't reply. Kagome's scent was particulary strong here. She must have been here recently. Frowning, he glanced toward the forest. It was that same forest. And there was another familiar scent. Still frowning slightly, he headed off in that direction.

"Hey, Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha yelled. The former paused, and didn't turn around.

"Can...can you follow the scent?" Of course. Inuyasha, as a useless hanyou, would have an inferior sense of smell.

"No", Sesshomaru lied. He began to walk forward again. Inuyasha didn't pursue him.

**Aaaaaaaaaand that's it. Well? Good? Bad? Totally disastrous? Let me know what you think :D Next chapter out soon :)**


	6. Chapter 6: Doors

**AN: Hi peoples! Ah, new chapter... and as promised, this chapter is dedicated to Qt. Happy birthday :D this chapter can be a present for you :D :D I hope you enjoy it!! Thank you so much to all my lovely reviewers :D this story is dedicated to all of you ^_^ I hope you continue to enjoy it :D**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. But we all know that~**

Kagome stirred. She curled up, hugging her knees. A pleasant, fuzzy feeling flowed warmly through her body. She couldn't remember the last time she had slept so well. She smiled drunkenly to herself. She felt soooo....happy....

"Aw, bless. She's so cute when she's sleeping."

"As opposed to when she's awake?"

"Yeah...she just looks depressed when she's awake."

"I'd be depressed too, if I had to put up with Airi all day."

"Shut up!"

Kagome's eyes flickered open. If only she could've slept a bit longer. Airi, Kazuki and Hayato were sitting down close by. She sighed and pushed herself up into a sitting position, eyes roaming lazily as she took in her surroundings. She was a large room with wooden flooring. The walls were damp and mouldy in the corner, and open to the elements at the far end. She supposed something had knocked it down. What 'something' was, she had no idea, but...

"Kagome! You're awake. Did you have a nice sleep? It wasn't so bad, was it?"

"You planning on letting her answer?" Kazuki raised his eyebrows and received a scowl from the slender auburn girl sitting across from him.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I feel..." she took a deep breath, wondering how she could explain just how happy she was. Well, she supposed that was it really. "...happy", she finished, with a broad smile. There was a funny smell. Not a bad smell, actually, it was quite aromatic. She sniffed the air. It was on her kimono? Glancing down, she saw tiny rivulets of dark crimson along the neckline of her garb. Kagome frowned. What in the world....?

Of course. She didn't scream, or cry. She took a deep, ragged breath, and the strange vitality bouncing through her veins disappeared. She felt...gruesome. It was sick, all of it, sick, sick, sick...Kagome stood very slowly, her legs trembling.

"Where are you going?" Airi said warily, getting to her feet.

"I just...I need air", Kagome whispered. Without waiting for a reply, she darted from the room, scrabbling over the debris and remains of the wall. It was still dark out, the moon hung in the sky, unaccompanied by any stars; a forlorn beacon. Kagome felt tears stinging her eyes. She stumbled along the roka. The wooden walkway had fallen into disuse. The soggy wood had many gaps. Eventually, she couldn't hold it in any more. Tears flowed freely down her cheeks and she crouched on the cold ground, hugging her knees to her chest. How could she? How could she do that?

Kagome cried harder. She was a murderer. She had killed someone...but how? She had always been gentle, never harming anything unless there was no other choice. But last night...she stared at her trembling hands, flexing her fingers. These hands...had killed a human being; a perfectly innocent human; a human that could have lived so much longer.

A human that, to satisfy her disgusting needs, had been slaughtered like an animal.

Kagome wretched. How could she have abandoned her humanity so easily? She wasn't fit to be called a human now. She was the worst, the absolute worst...

"Kagome?"

Airi sounded so timid. But Airi had done it too. Kagome couldn't picture mellow Airi, always cheerful and easy to talk to, doing something so horrific. The petite girl leaned against the wall and slid down slowly, crouching next to Kagome. She said nothing, and the two vampires sat in silence.

Silence made Airi uncomfortable. It was a void that needed filling. She thought furiously of something, anything at all to say. Kagome snuffled quietly. Airi bit her lip. What did you say? What had Daichi told her? Daichi really should be here right now. He should be here to fix things. Daichi always knew what to say to people. He knew how to tell them what they needed to hear in a way they wanted to hear it.

"Kagome, I..." Airi trailed off. She could always talk. She talked too much. But how come, when she needed words the most, they deserted her completely?

"Here", she murmured, depositing the blanket and lighted candle she had brought out on the ground beside Kagome. She would leave the dark-haired girl to her thoughts for now. When Daichi came back, he would know what to do.

Kagome watched Airi flicker out of focus and vanish. She reached out for the blanket and pulled the thin material around her shoulders. With a sniffle, she leaned back against the wall, watching the empty sky. It was a dark abyss. Even the moon had been swallowed up. It was...foreboding.

A chill breeze threatened the small candle in her hands. Kagome cupped it. This was the last light in the dark. Her instincts told her to keep it alive. The breeze picked up. The leaves were whipped up in a frenzied dance. The tree boughs groaned eerily. The whole scene reminded her of a naff horror movie.

Dread stirred in the pit of her stomach. Something was wrong. The air carried a morbid smell. Every bone in her body seemed to freeze over while her mind screamed at her to run. Kagome stood, slowly, heart pounding. And the barrage of wind quenched the tiny flame in her hands. At once, the wind died down as quickly as it had arrived. The only sound was her own hitched breathing and frantic heart.

The leaves rustled ahead. Kagome squinted, trying to see. Something was coming towards her. The pungent smell, like corpses and death, grew stronger. Kagome gagged and tried to step backwards. Narrow beams of moonlight pierced the clouds and barely illuminated the ground in front of her. But she could see it now. Kagome stared in horrid fascination. Tendrils of smoky shadows were wafting nonchalantly towards her. As soon as she laid eyes on them, her body seemed to lose contact with her. She slumped like a rag doll, helpless. The inky darkness swirled, reforming itself into a twisted claw, reaching for her face. Kagome squeaked and tried to blow it away. It dissipated like smoke, but simply renewed itself and advanced relentlessly. Her vision blurred with crimson, and turned upside down. Her throat constricted, making breathing a chore. Panic overwhelmed all her other senses. What the hell was this?! But the feeling, like all the life was being sucked away, it was familiar. She had experienced this before...

The insubstantial fingers gently caressed her cheek. It was like being stabbed by icicles, and pain exploded in her head. The darkness around her seemed to take on a new shape.

"_Show me."_

She was standing in the middle of a gloomy corridor. There were no windows, but doors. She spun in a slow circle. The hall seemed endless, doors lining both walls as far as the eye could see. It was creepy; dark and cold, with cobwebs and dust everywhere. She had an awful feeling she shouldn't be here.

"_Show me."_

Kagome spun around. Someone was behind her. But before she could see anything, the ground seemed to lurch beneath her feet. Kagome cried out and fell, shielding her eyes against the dust and debris that was rushing past her. The corridor was moving, doors flashing past her. But she was stationary. It was like trying to hold her own against a hurricane. The corridor jerked to a halt, and it was the most disorientating thing she had ever experienced.

The door in front of her was small. It was white washed, like something that belonged on a picturesque cottage. She gently traced her fingertips along the smooth surface. A familiar voice called to her from behind it.

"Kagome?"

Kagome's heart soared. She could've cried with relief. "Inuyasha!" She cried, banging her hands against the smooth wood. "Inuyasha, I'm here! I'm on the other side!"

"Open the door!" came the irate reply. Kagome looked for a handle. The door stared blankly back at her.

"I can't, there isn't any doorknob. You open it!"

"Okay."

There was a click, and the door began to swing open. Kagome grinned. "Inuyasha, I've miss-"

"_Show me."_

This time she was knocked off her feet as the corridor hurtled forward, like a deranged escalator. She couldn't catch her breath to call for Inuyasha. And by the time it slowed down again, there was a new door in front of her. It was black iron, and reached the ceiling. Chains and locks hung from the worn surface. It scared her. One by one, the locks began to click and snap. The chains fell limp, and the door swung open.

**Duh-duh-duh-duh!! What nasty surprise awaits our heroine? All shall be revealed in the next chapter :D How'd I do?? Please review and tell me what you think :D**


	7. Chapter 7: The Red Abyss

**AN: Oh my god, my reviews go to two pages now :D kyaaaaaaaaa~so happy...You guys are the best! Anyhoo, I've gone back and paragraphed my previous chapters, I understand they were mega difficult to read. Sorry about that, and thank you all sooo much for bearing with me :) **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. It belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.**

"Thank you, Rin. Just put them there. Yes, right there."

Kaede smiled affectionately as Rin placed a basket of freshly collected herbs on the ground at the elderly miko's side. Turning back to the task at hand, she began to wrap clean bandages around the man's arm. He had been injured by a sickle during the harvest. It was quite bad, Kaede wasn't sure if his left arm would be of use to him anymore. But she didn't have the heart to tell him that.

"Thank you so much, miko-sama", he bowed his head as his wife escorted him away.

"You will need a lot of rest, and make sure you take the medicine. It should relieve the pain somewhat. I'll see you again in a few days to check your wound."

The man and his wife thanked her again and departed for the village. Kaede sighed and ushered Rin back inside the hut. It was time to prepare lunch. Rin insisted on helping, and Kaede allowed her to make the tea. She was a very sweet girl; genuine and kind. Kaede found the fact that Sesshomaru tolerated her presence quite amusing.

It had been three days now. Three days since Sesshomaru had disappeared into the woods on a "dangerous errand", leaving Rin in Kaede's care. Inuyasha had left yesterday, with Sango, Shippo and Miroku to investigate the strange claims of a band of soldiers. They swore that they had been attacked by humanoid youkai in the woods. Two of them were quite seriously hurt, from what Kaede had heard. But something else was on her mind. That strange presence, the one she had felt on the night of Kagome's disappearance, it had been waxing and waning, almost in lunar cycles. Last night it had surged. The evil aura rested thickly on the air, static, like before a lightning storm.

Something was very, very wrong.

-oOo-

Another long corridor. It was lit dimly be sconces on the stone wall. Even if she squinted, she could not see the end. A gust of stale wind breezed past. Kagome wrinkled her nose at the onslaught of such a foul smell. There was a dull clunk ahead, like a door being thrown open. Kagome could hear the rapid patter of quick, light footsteps. A slim figure was rushing towards her. Kagome retreated a few steps.

The woman paused just before the threshold. She looked agitated and afraid. Her long dark hair was unkempt and her eyes were slightly wild.

"My son? Have you seen my son?"

Kagome blinked in confusion. Slowly, she shook her head. "No, I'm sorry, ma'am, I-"

"My son? Have you seen my son?"

Kagome pressed her back against the opposite wall, eyes wary. "What's your son called?"

At this, the woman seemed to relax slightly. "Inuyasha."

Kagome's heart skipped a beat. "You're...Inuyasha's mother?" The woman nodded, smiling. Her eyes scanned the hall eagerly. "Is he here? Is my boy here?"

Kagome shook her head again. "I'm sorry, he isn't-"

"You. You shouldn't be here. What are you doing here?"

Kagome paused. There was something terribly strange about this woman. She wasn't...right. The way her expression changed constantly, looking nervous, afraid, angry...

"Run away, Kagome. Run away. Don't take a step closer. Do not cross the threshold of this door. Run away. Before it changes again, run away before it returns. You have seconds. Run."

"How do you know who I am? Where am I supposed to run?" Kagome's voice rose. She felt sick with terror, but how was this woman, claiming to be Inuyasha's mother, to be trusted? Could this all be an elaborate trap of some kind?

The woman shook her head, and then Kagome noticed her face was...morphing? The hair became shorter, the eyes, larger. And Kagome was staring at herself. In that instant, any clue as to what was happening to her vanished.

"Okay, what the hell is going on?"

The other Kagome looked at her in fear. "Run, please run..." she sobbed quietly. The sconces at the end of the corridor were quenched. The other Kagome whimpered. "Quick, run, run, run!"

"What about you?" Kagome asked, completely bemused by the whole thing. The other girl shook her head. "Please..." she said brokenly. "Run..."

Kagome didn't need any more encouragement. She turned tail and fled down the corridor. A shrill scream followed her. She threw a desperate glance over her shoulder, and ran smack into something cold and hard. Tottering back in confusion, she raised a hand to steady herself. In front of her stood the door. Chains clinking, it creaked open again, quietly insistent. But she remembered the horror on her alternate self's face. She knew, whatever happened, she mustn't even set one foot across the threshold. There would be no turning back.

She smirked. "Persistent bugger, aren't you?" she muttered as she took a back step. Fingers closed around her wrists like iron, pushing her forward. Kagome screamed in surprise, her feet dragging along the ground. She desperately tried to turn and face her attacker, but at that moment, a frightening detail came to light. The door was inching forward. It was now completely dark. Like a black hole. She whimpered and struggled. She couldn't go in there, she couldn't....

"Stop fighting! We'll both go in, I'll hold your hand nice and safe, and you can show me the doors", someone purred in her ear.

"What...what are you talking about?" she snarled through gritted teeth. That voice was familiar. But she couldn't place it. The chains slithered forward like snakes, wrapping around her ankles and sliding up her legs. She squealed and tried to shake them off, but they only tightened their grip. The door loomed ahead, a gaping cavity of nothingness, and that awful smell, like death itself...Kagome's eyes widened in horror, and her assailant chuckled hysterically behind her.

"No..." she whispered. "Please..."

Time seemed to slow, as she tripped over the threshold of the door, and fell into the abyss.

It was horrible. Slow, like waiting for an execution. Images flashed around her. A monster leapt out at her, with a scarecrow-like burlap mask. She screamed, trying to edge away. All sorts of horrible thing s were falling with her, falling down, down, down...

_I don't...please...I don't want to die..._

Another door came into sight. Studded with blood stained spikes, remnants of flesh and bones still impaled. Kagome screamed again, twisting in the air, trying to get away from this nightmare. It was horrible, horrible...

A strange red light curled around her fingers, dancing down her arm. It felt warm, and comforting. A lifeline. She wasn't meant to be here...

Kagome closed her fingers around the crimson light, accepting its aid. Everything froze for a nanosecond. There was a blinding red flash. Then...nothing...

"Kagome!"

She snapped her eyes open, expecting to be skewered on a black spike in some kind of hell, but there was solid ground beneath her feet. Like hollowed out earth, but that didn't make any sense..She sat up, looking around. It appeared that she was sitting in the middle of some kind of crater...but how could that be?

She glanced up in the direction of the voice that had called out to her. Airi's wide violet eyes were staring at her from the edge of the enormous fissure. Ran looked rather impressed. The others wore expressions of awe and confusion. Daichi broke the silence with a short bark of laughter.

"Well! That was pretty impressive..."

**Ah, another cliffie. Sorry. I have had so much frigging homework lately. My brain is just a useless pile of mush now :( oh wells. What has Kagome done?? The mystery deepens...thanks for reading and please review :D**


	8. Chapter 8: Illusions

**AN: I'm sorry I've taken so long to update. I have no time anymore. And I have a big test tomorrow. What have I done to deserve this T-T Anyways, thank you to all my reviewers! I hope you enjoy this chapter :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I'm too lazy to say anything more inventive...**

Kagome stared at her trembling fingers. It was as if her limbs had turned to rubber. What on earth had she done...?

"Kyaaa! Kagome, that was incredible! Try it again!" Airi squealed.

"Ah, I don't think that's a very good idea," Daichi laughed nervously.

"I actually agree", Kurou nodded. Daichi's eyes narrowed, a strange look flashing across his face. Kurou smiled sharply. The look seemed savagely animalistic on his usually solemn features. Kagome looked at the ground, wondering if anyone else saw. When she raised her head again, Daichi was trying to silence Airi's exclamations, laughing good naturedly at her childish antics, while Kurou was glancing miserably at the sky in a somewhat vacant manner.

Kazuki grabbed her hand and helped her to her feet. He was chattering incessantly. Kagome replied with a weak smile. She had never felt so exhausted in her life. She stumbled in a daze of fatigue.

"_That was pretty awesome. But my body's been smashed up again. Now I'm gonna be in trouble. That kinda pisses me off."_

Kagome froze. That voice...yes. It was the same one, the same voice...in the corridor. It was the voice of the person who had pushed her through that door.

"_But I s'pose I'll forgive you! Let's have a fresh start next time, m'kay?"_

"What? Who are you?"

_Bye~bye, Kagome!"_

"Kagome?"

She wrenched her hands away ferociously, baring her teeth in a snarl. Kazuki's eyes widened as he backed away. "Sorry", he mumbled. Kagome stared at him blankly. "You were muttering to yourself and looking a bit...scary-crazy", he held his hands up defensively and smiled nervously, like she would leap over and rip his head off.

"I-I'm sorry, Kazuki-kun. But didn't you hear that? That voice, just now?" Kagome clasped her hands in front of her, praying someone would agree with her. _Please don't let me be crazy..._

"My voice?" Kazuki said in surprise. Kagome shook her head. "No, the other one that-"

"Oh joy. Don't listen to the little voices. It never ends well", Ran sighed.

"Ran would know a lot about that", Airi snickered.

"Brat."

"Kagome, what voice?"

Realising the anxious and almost wary manner in which everyone was staring at her, Kagome thought it safe to assume she was alone on this. She felt her cheeks heating up and attempted a care-free laugh. It came out sounding deranged.

"I must be imagining stuff. Sorry everyone. I know this is all a bit weird, but I'm just tired. I feel...really...dizzy", she mumbled. Kazuki linked his arm through hers once more, and towed her out of the crater, towards the others. Instead of bombarding her with questions, everyone remained perfectly silent. They were staring at her. She couldn't take it anymore.

"Is there something on my face?"

She was met by silence.

"Look, I know you're all itching to know what happened with the spontaneous explosion and all, but I don't have any idea as to what all this crazy stuff is about! I'm tired, I'm hungry, I am feeling morally challenged, and...I...I just want to go to sleep!"

Kagome burst into tears. It seemed to spur everyone into motion. Airi threw her arms around her, in tears as well. Kagome couldn't quite make out what she was saying. Daichi was smiling at her soothingly.

"Now, now! No need for tears, Kagome. We'll find somewhere to get some food, and sleep. And it will be daylight soon. The clouds have cleared up, so we'll have to stay indoors today. You'll get some sleep, and we'll work all of it, 'kay?" he chirped.

Kagome sniffed and nodded. "Okay", she hiccupped.

-oOo-

"S-shit..." he pressed a hand to his chest. This useless body...it couldn't even withstand that girl's feeble attack. His blood pressure soared just thinking about it. He had been so close. But maybe he had been too close...this could work in his favour. At least he had a psychic link with her, now. He could monitor that ability, make sure it didn't prove to be a problem.

"Here you go, sir."

The bloodied bodies of two adult humans were thrown at his feet. One was still alive, limbs twitching in agony. He smiled warmly. "Thank-you, Hana. You're so helpful."

A girl of perhaps fourteen or fifteen years of age; blonde, with bright green eyes and a bloodstained yellow kimono, smiled flatly at him.

"My pleasure, sir."

**I'm sorry, this was kind of a filler. Oh well. Tell me what you think! And thanks for reading ;)**


	9. Chapter 9: Foreboding

**AN: I am so sorry hangs head in shame yes, I am still alive for anyone who was concerned :P and I just finished my mocks. It was living hell. Trust me, I would have been much happier writing my story, but I don't get much of a say. And after all this I still have to do the real thing at the end of the year T-T why? **_**Why?**_

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, if I did, it would probably have ended up being a lot more depressing :) **

Hana shivered in the crisp night air, clutching tightly at the clean, mint coloured kimono in an attempt to preserve what little body heat she had. Brushing a whimsical strand of ashen hair, she stood up, making sure to be as quite as possible. It wouldn't do to be caught now. Much to her annoyance, she stubbed her toe on a jagged branch, causing it to snap. She winced at how incredible the volume was in the silence of the trees. Had she blown her cover?

"What are you doing?"

Resisting the urge to exclaim in surprise, Hana threw a bored glance over her shoulder. Her whole body tensed, prepared to fight if necessary. She loosened the daggers strapped to her wrist, making sure the movement was concealed by the flowing sleeves of her garment.

The speaker appeared, at first glance, to be a human. But the same could be said for Hana, and she knew better than to judge on first appearances. His cold amber eyes narrowed, the way his mouth was set seemed almost haughty, and his hair was long, far longer than her own, and the colour of liquid silver. His features were somewhat elfin, and Hana decided that he must be a youkai.

She turned slowly, to face him, and bowed respectfully. Her instincts warned her that this was a being she could not hope to oppose. Remembering his question, she wondered whether to lie or not.

"I'm merely passing, sir", she replied delicately, adding a pleasant smile.

"Where exactly are you headed, little girl?"

Hana's eyes hardened at the patronising title. "I'm travelling to the city, to stay with my uncle and his family. I plan to meet up with my companions in the next village." She smiled again, trying to look innocent.

"A badly told tale. You smell like corpse and blood. Hunting, perhaps?"

Hana paused. She had underestimated him. But she needed to remain calm. A lesser demon had no chance against a daiyoukai. Holding her smile in place, she forced out a small laugh.

"Of course. Forgive me for my deceit. But I am meeting up with my coven soon. They'll be expecting me."

Another lie. But it was almost instinctive to make sure this man knew she was not alone; that she might seem like easy prey, but others were lurking nearby, who might possibly rush to her aid if she was attacked. The idea seemed pathetic and degrading to her, but right now, that was her only hope of leaving this place in one piece.

"You see," he smiled frostily and advanced slowly. "Your scent is hot on the heels of another scent, one that I am following, and would I be wrong to assume, that you are on the same track as I?"

Hana felt the first stirrings of fear in her stomach, and resisted the urge to step back.

"Perhaps..." she murmured, eyes guarded. The youkai smiled at her somewhat sinisterly, and before she could blink, he was directly in front of her. One clawed hand tightened around her throat, lifting her clean off the ground with ease. She squirmed, turning her head to the side so as to allow a few ragged breaths. This is where abilities came in handy. Concentrating ferociously, she felt the familiar tingle. She was safe now. Baring her teeth in a feral smile, she fell right through his fingers. Like an insubstantial ghost, she phased through his body, and willed herself to disappear completely. That slightly shocked flicker of his eyelids was a very disappointing reaction. She had been hoping for something more...dramatic. Oh well. At least she was alive...

-oOo-

How strange. Sesshomaru let his hand drop to his side, tuning to watch the vampire disappear into the forest. All he could see was the slight depression her feet made in the leaves. That was a strange talent...one that could prove to be a problem later on. So this girl was also on Kagome's trail, it seemed. With a stifled sigh, he followed her. It seemed his suspicions had been confirmed. Kagome was a vampire. He wondered how Inuyasha would react to this.

-oOo-

Kagome felt utterly miserable. She shuffled further away from the door. Sunlight blazed through the cracks, almost as if it was determined to burn the door down, then burn her too. Kagome wondered what would happen if she went out in the sun. Would she combust? Turn to ashes? Explode?

"Kagome! You aren't even listening", Daichi accused.

"Hmm? Of course I am! You're saying I have ability", she said confidently.

Daichi rolled his eyes. "I knew it. No, we stopped talking about that around ten minutes ago. We _know _you have ability. No, we are talking about the new scent found nearby when you activated it. The scent is on you too. We're wondering who attacked you."

"_Oh, they'll never guess. I can't wait to hear their ideas. This should be good."_

Kagome sighed deeply and squeezed her eyes tight shut. Perfect. A crazy voice.

"We're going to go back and have a look around. Kurou thinks we're being followed. Of course, he has a major paranoia issue, but I have a similar feeling. I wouldn't be surprised."

Kagome glanced up sharply. "Why?"

"Well, it's to be expected. It is quite possible you have ability, it seems to be offensive, or at least has offensive capabilities, which makes you a threat. It would be best to kill you in the early stages, while you have little control over your power."

Kagome's jaw dropped. "For an enemy coven, of course", he added.

"_Stal~ker."_

"Shut up", Kagome muttered. Daichi looked apologetic. "Oh! No, not you...the...voice, look never mind", she laughed, flapping a hand dismissively.

"_If you could only hear how insane you sound. You'd laugh. Seriously."_

Kagome bit down on her lip. She would just ignore the voice, and then maybe it would go away and annoy someone else.

"_Fat chance..."_

Kagome gritted her teeth, and ignored it. "Daichi, can we practise summoning my ability again?" Anything that would help her tune out the annoying comments would be welcome. Daichi smiled cheerfully. "Sure."

They had made some progress. If she pressed her fingertips together, forming a steeple, a translucent sphere, that glowed bright crimson materialized in the middle. It seemed to disintegrate whatever it contained, as they had seen when they practised with stones. They also knew it could increase to huge size; the crater it had made the first time had had a radius of almost twelve metres. Curiously, Kagome had been able to remain at the focus of the sphere without coming to harm, but Daichi had reasoned that, as the generator, she would remain untouched by its destructive power.

"I was wondering if it could be used as a shield, in other words, if...say...people could be kept safe in its centre. Perhaps we could try changing its shape too."

Kagome nodded, flexing her fingers and clenching them in a fist. They felt sore and hot, but she wanted to try and hone her skill. She wouldn't be a dead weight.

Airi and Hayato were engrossed in a game of rock-paper-scissors, while Ran was absent mindedly scratching something into the ground with a nail, sitting slightly away from everyone else.

"Where are Kurou and Yori and all the others?" Kagome wondered aloud. Ran shrugged.

"Probably found somewhere else to stay for today. And if we don't see them tonight, I think it's safe to assume they died."

Airi scowled at her friend. "Ever the optimist, aren't you?"

Ran flashed her a brilliant smile. Kagome had never seen Ran smile before. In fact, she didn't know much about the older girl at all. Ran was so perceptive; she could read people so easily. But Ran herself was so...stoic, and blank. Not only a closed book, but a chained and locked one too.

Kagome shook her head to clear it of any distracting thoughts, and focused on what Daichi was trying to tell her.

She felt the familiar warm tingle in her fingers, and they glowed a light red. She imagined she was summoning all her energy to her fingertips, that it was pooling between her hands, a crimson sphere.

It materialized, and she felt a surge of triumph. And it looked so pretty too...

But something else was gnawing at her, an alien emotion of deep frustration and terrifying fury. Kagome felt uneasy. Could those feelings belong to that strange voice? But why would it be angry? Kagome swallowed and tried to concentrate. Her sphere flickered like a short-circuiting light, then fizzled out all together, leaving Kagome with a feeling of disquiet and fear.

**At least it's not a big cliffie, eh? XD sorry about all of those...and sorry again for the long wait. My updates should become a bit more regular now. Thanks for staying with me so far :D and please review!**


	10. Chapter 10: Inferno

**AN: I'm sorry I haven't updated! I've had course work write-ups and projects going on, and I'm also in the process of preparing a short story for a competition. Busy, busy. But don't worry! I have every intention of finishing this story, so even if the chapters take forever to come out, they **_**are**_** coming :D so rest assured! And thank you so much for bearing with me :) **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, Rumiko Takahashi does :) **

The corridor was poorly lit, but Kagome could see her path easily. She walked with a deliberate purpose, her footsteps falling lightly on the ground with but with sureness; the footsteps of someone on a mission. She was unsure of what this particular task was, but her legs seemed to know where to take her.

She cast her eyes along the mouldy walls. They were covered in empty picture frames. Kagome didn't find this odd. But then the line of frames came to a halt, and so did Kagome. Hanging on its own was a shattered mirror, shaped like a star or pentagram. This disturbed her, though she wasn't sure why. Her hands reached out of their own accord, and lifted the mirror off the wall. They turned it to face the wall and set it down. Feeling far more satisfied, Kagome continued on her way.

Every so often a mirror would crop up, and she would turn it the other way. In her mind, this was compulsory.

_The glassy eyes  
follow you silently.  
Spies of the Seer._

She was drawing closer to her destination. She was so close now, so close she could...

"Ka-go-meeeeeee!"

Kagome started, sitting up abruptly.Airi's amethyst coloured eyes watched her with a mixture of doubt and fear. "Shh."

Kagome stared at her blankly. "You were talking to yourself", Airi hissed. "It was creepy, like something Yori would say." Kagome remembered her dream. It came in quick flashes of colour and noise, but she couldn't remember _why_. It had made so much sense a few moments ago, in her sleeping state, and now it was just gibberish. She apologised to Airi and curled back up again, staring at the shadows amassed in the corner of the room.

Airi nodded with satisfaction and went back to sleep. A gnawing sense of dread kept at Kagome though, and she found she could not slip into blissful oblivion as easily as her friend had. Something felt wrong. Her muscles were tense and she had an overwhelming urge to open the door and look outside.

Kagome rolled over. She couldn't bear to look at the darkness in the corner anymore. It allowed her mind to wander too much. She sat up again, looking around the room. If only there was a book to read, or something to do...

Slouching forlornly by the door was her schoolbag. She had insisted on bringing it with her, despite the fact that it was a painful reminder of her past. After rooting around inside for a few moments, Kagome settled on her history textbook. It was far from being a light read, but at least it was more interesting than geometry.

She was just getting immersed in the Azuchi-Momoyama, when she could smell something akin to burning toast. Her twentieth century mind dismissed this as anything out of the ordinary, but as the pungent smell became stronger, she realised that this was feudal Japan, and there were no toasters.

Her head snapped up in alarm, and surely enough, a thick grey cloud was forming. Smoke. This was bad. Her mind, unfamiliar with her new physical setbacks, took a few moments to process this. If there was smoke, there was fire. If there was fire, she had to get out. But she couldn't go out.

If her blood had been running, it would have gone cold. Kagome lurched into action, furiously shaking Airi's shoulder. "Airi! _Airi! _Wake up!" Airi groaned and squinted at her blearily.

"Oh. Hey, Kags. Is something wrong?" she asked with a drowsy smile. Kagome gestured helplessly around the room, pressing one hand to her mouth as the deadly smoke assaulted her lungs. Airi's eyes widened and she scrambled to her feet. She peered around the room, swatting her hand in an attempt to clear the smoke directly in front of her. Kagome grabbed her sleeve.

"What are you doing?" she hissed. "Get down or you'll be poisoned by the smoke." Airi grinned and for a moment Kagome though perhaps she was insane.

"Kagome", Airi said with a gentle smile. "We're dead. We don't breathe. Just don't stand in it for too long or it will poison you." Kagome felt very stupid for not realising this. But I'm new to this, she told herself. Airi cautiously picked her way over to the door, pressing the oversized sleeve of her kimono to her mouth. She peeked through the timber boards and winced. Kagome's stomach sank. It was still too bright to go out.

"It's okay", Airi said out loud, her voice muffled through the fabric. Her benign eyes were full of reassurance. But then there was a crack, like lightening overhead, and the ceiling blazed with sudden light. Kagome staggered out of the way as the burning rafters began to groan and fall.

For a moment both girls were frozen. Smoke was okay as long as you didn't inhale it. Fire was a different matter. Kagome could feel the hot air scald her skin and she tried to put as much distance between herself and the flames. But this was a wood dwelling, and the fire spread quickly.

If someone had told her several months ago that she was going to die twice in feudal Japan, she would have nodded politely and made a hasty retreat. Yet here she was. About to die for real this time. She couldn't see Airi through the roaring inferno, but she could catch her scent. It seemed weak and distant, but that fresh-air and crushed pine needle smell that clung to the petite girl was unmistakable.

"Airi?" she called. There was no reply. Kagome felt desperation claw at her as the fire hissed around her, closing in. She called out again, but there was still no answer. She yelped as a tongue of flame licked at her shoulder. It was impossibly hot, like she had been doused in magma. The skin cracked and split, and began to pool with blood. Just one brush against the fire had done that. She whimpered, clutching the wound and looking for a way out.

She could see a shadowy door across the room. If it was dark, there were no flames. Jaw set with determination, she began to skirt around the fire, trying to ignore the burning agony in her limbs. The smoke was like a lethal mist, obscuring her view, but her survival instincts urged her onward.

A cold breath of wind caressed her face and she was filled with relief. She forgot about the sun outside, and even Airi. All that mattered was getting out of this hell. She could have laughed with relief. But then a stinging pain seared through the side of her head. It was almost as if someone had driven a knife through her skull.

She cried out, and the smoke rushed into her mouth. Kagome sucked in deep, unnecessary and smoky gasps as she pressed her hands to the side of her head. It was cruel. She was so close to freedom...but this dagger of torturous agony was stabbing her head, and she could barely see. It was so instinctive for her to gasp that she couldn't help herself. The smoke made her eyes smart and sounds became weak and muted. Her vision dimmed and became tinted with red at the corners.

With a hiss of triumph, the fire illuminated the door that had been her salvation with a blazing fury, and her last escape was cut off.

**End of chapter ten ;) cliffhangers are a really bad habit of mine I notice...I'll try and make eleven snappy! Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed and please review!**


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